Dr. Leon Noʻeau Peralto was born and raised in Waiākea Uka, Hilo, Hawaiʻi, and is a proud descendant of kūpuna from Koholālele, Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi. He is a community builder, educator, and a cultivator of seeds and stories, and holds a PhD. in Indigenous Politics from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His dissertation research explored the continuity of aloha ʻāina praxis in his home community of Hāmākua Hikina through the land- and story-based resurgence work of Hui Mālama i ke Ala ʻŪlili, of which he is a founding member, a former president of the Board of Directors, and has served as the Executive Director since 2017.
About Kīpuka Moʻolelo
He papa hana hou ʻo Kīpuka Moʻolelo e hāpai aʻe ana i ka ʻōlelo, moʻomeheu, a kuanaʻike Hawaiʻi ma ka hoʻonaʻauao, kālaiʻāina, mele, a hoʻopaipai pū. Ma ka holo ʻana o ka papa hana, nānā ʻia ka moʻolelo o kekahi o nā koa o ke aukahi hoʻōla ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, a pēlā pū hoʻi nā kānaka e ʻaʻa nei i nā palena o ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. He papa hana laulima ʻo Kīpuka Moʻolelo na ʻŌiwi TV, Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, ke Kikowaena Kilo Hōkū ʻo ʻImiloa, a me ke Koleke ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi ʻo Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani.
Kīpuka Moʻolelo is a new series exploring the contemporary use of the Hawaiian language, culture, and perspective in the areas of education, politics, music, and advocacy. Over the course of the series, we learn about the journey of a few early proponents of the Hawaiian language revitalization movement as well as others who are pushing ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi into new domains. Kīpuka Moʻolelo is a collaboration between ʻŌiwi TV, Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, ʻImiloa Astronomy Center, and Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language.
